Lean Energy: Energy management and efficiency from the perspective of improvement

First, it is necessary to define from which perspective observations on the topic will be made, since continuous improvement is an extremely broad topic with several aspects, tools and methodologies. For this analysis, the focus will be on Lean 6-Sigma, a well-known approach to continuous improvement and process management, commonly used in industries to improve and conform their products and processes to the demands of their internal or external customers. concepts

The Lean philosophy comes from the TPS (Toyota Production System) and is based on 5 principles to eliminate waste, with Lean listing 8 archetypes of waste. These principles consist of the conception of what is “value” from the customer's perspective (Value), the alignment of activities in the sequence that generates the maximum of this “value” (Value Flow), carrying out these activities continuously, without bottlenecks or delays (Continuous Flow) and avoiding, if possible eliminating, the accumulation of “value” that is stopped or stored (Pull Production) and in an increasingly efficient manner (Perfection). This last point is the 6-Sigma methodology of continuous improvement, forming the Lean 6-Sigma Framework.

A tool widely used within 6-Sigma is DMAIC, an acronym for “Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control” (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control), a sequence of actions with a self-explanatory name that aims, within a cycle composed of them, to generate an improvement in the aspect for which it was decided to use such a tool. Like other tools applied in continuous improvement, at the end of each DMAIC cycle, it can (and should) be applied again to obtain continuous improvement of processes and products.

Another concept that needs to be established is energy efficiency. Energy efficiency consists of delivering the same result of a given action or process using less energy. The result of a process should not be affected. If an action results in interference in the result, it is not efficiency, but rather a cut. In a metaphor, energy efficiency is not necessarily about “turning off a light bulb,” but rather “turning off a light bulb that doesn’t need to be turned on.” Figures of speech aside, this is where the connection to Lean 6-Sigma begins to become clear.

The Connection

Based on this definition of energy efficiency, it is implied that the main objective of the search is to reduce waste in the way energy is consumed, whether electrical or not, while maintaining the quality of the product or process involved; however, to achieve real gains, it is interesting to keep in mind the Lean flow. It is necessary to understand what the customer's need is, what they understand as value within energy efficiency, whether it is simply reducing energy costs or whether it is something more, such as evaluating other energy sources to be more sustainable or even other aspects. energy to reduce the "accumulation" of energy inefficiencies. By following these steps and doing them in a cyclical manner, one can reach an optimized state of energy consumption: energy efficiency.

To understand and map consumption and efficiency measures, that is, the value flow and what leads to the pull process, it is necessary to carry out energy diagnostics that can be seen under the scope of DMAIC.

DMAIC and energy

Energy diagnosis and energy management have, in their skeleton, continuous improvement. It is no wonder that, within ISO 50001 (international energy management standard), a PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle has been created.

Today, it is possible to break down the structure of the diagnosis and the way of thinking within the steps of DMAIC. Just like this tool, in the diagnosis, it is necessary to define the locations and limits of where it will occur, that is, the definition of the problem. Then, it is necessary to carry out a measurement of the current consumption rates, which are the sources of energy used, how they are distributed and what the uses of energy are. With these characteristics, one begins to understand the consumption itself, as well as the possibilities for savings.

The possibilities discovered will be studied, evaluated and calculated in the next phase, the “analysis” in DMAIC. Here, it is extremely important that the measures are approved with what is “value” for the client. At this point, the energy diagnosis ends, but the tool's phases continue.

Now that all the savings opportunities have been understood, their impacts calculated and their consequences assessed, it is possible to propose the implementation of improvements that may require anything from simple actions, such as awareness campaigns, to entire equipment retrofit projects. Then, monitor the effectiveness of innovative measures through energy management, in which, once again, tools that are very present in 6-Sigma can be used, such as CEP (Statistical Process Control) to detect anomalies in energy delivery.

Conclusion

Energy efficiency and what it involves are umbilicals linked to the concepts of continuous improvement and the Lean philosophy. This is in the structuring of the standards that deal with energy efficiency and in the concept of efficiency itself.

6-Sigma is also an extremely robust and in-depth methodology, of which only some of its elements have been mentioned in this text, but others could be used in other analyses. For example, SIPOC (another acronym for “Supplier, Input, Process, Output and Customer”) to map each energy-consuming process, or statistical tools to evaluate the effectiveness of energy meters and the representativeness of results. more diverse approaches, such as energy analysis, or Lean Energy.